In many situations, there is a need to capture gaseous contaminants from within an enclosed space. For example, gaseous contaminants such as hydrocarbons can be harmful to persons who are temporarily confined within an enclosed space, such as an aircraft cabin. In addition to people, airborne contaminants such as hydrocarbons can also be harmful to sensitive electronic equipment, such as in a clean room for the manufacture of semiconductor products. Gaseous contaminants can be particularly harmful to sensitive electronic components that are disposed in a small, enclosed space, such as within a disk drive assembly.
By way of example, magnetic disk drive assemblies require a clean operating environment to prevent contamination of the various components contained within the assembly. Especially troublesome are organic vapors, which may condense on the surface of the magnetic disk, causing the read/write head to stick to the surface of the magnetic disk. For example, gaseous hydrocarbons, such as aliphatic hydrocarbons, are not susceptible to removal via electrostatic forces and are difficult to adsorb with traditional adsorbents.
There is a need for a filter device that facilitates the capture of gaseous contaminants, including non-polar hydrocarbons, such as aliphatic hydrocarbons.